No matter how much technology we develop or how advanced society becomes, one thing never changes: we need great leaders. Whether you are the CEO of a corporation or a new entrepreneur with a startup, you need to know how to lead your employees so that the company is successful. Below, let’s talk about some of the best strategies that you can employ so that your team is energized and ready to innovate solutions to problems in your industry.

Communicate your expectations

One of the biggest sources of frustration for an employee is unclear expectations. Or, just as bad, they think they know what must be done but find out later that there were other tasks that weren’t revealed.

Rather than leave your team in the dark, which can only lead to problems down the line, be sure that all the information that is in your head is communicated to those who need to know it. When employees have all of the right details from the very start, productivity and quality will improve.

Don’t micromanage

There’s a fine line between giving everyone what they need to know and getting in their way. This often happens when the manager doesn’t trust their team or believes that no one can do it better than they can.

To solve this, do six things:

• Hire the right people.
• Admit that you can’t do everything yourself.
• Delegate what you don’t have time to do and give clear deadlines.
• Make yourself available for questions.
• Trust that your team will get it all done.
• Praise them when they do.

Give your talent what they need to succeed

A great boss understands that their team needs three core things to be successful at their jobs. The first is clear expectations, which we have already covered. The second is the tools for the job, which could be software, training, or other essentials. The last is an open door policy. There are going to be times when they simply get stuck and need guidance on how to get going again. While any leader undoubtedly has a full day ahead of them, the great ones make it easy for an employee to come to them with questions. 

Be genuine and generous with your praise

If you think back on your own career, you’ll likely find more than one time when you had to deal with an angry boss. You may have a more difficult time coming up with times when that person was happy with you, no matter how hard you worked.

Leaders are often quick to express disapproval and slow to give praise. It’s a real shame because no matter how old we get, we all need validation from time to time. So, to be the greatest boss ever, look for opportunities to point out privately or publicly the good work someone is doing. It will make them feel appreciated and motivate them to give their best effort.

Be willing to let others have the spotlight

You have made it to the top – you are the CEO. Now it’s time to step aside from time to time and let the spotlight shine on someone else. One of the best things you can do as a boss is give more responsibility to other employees. Be a mentor and show them how to take charge of complicated projects. 

The classiest thing you can do is to give them credit for excellent ideas. Many bosses are actually threatened by this, but if you are willing to applaud someone else’s innovative thinking, it will certainly be noticed by your employees.

Leadership is the ultimate work in progress. You will learn a lot as you lead your team, and if you are humble, you will figure out how to become someone worth following.